Russia’s first Positive Economy Forum is to be held in Rostov-on-Don in June 2015.

Center-invest Bank announced at a press conference that it was organising Russia’s first Positive Economy Forum with assistance from the Positive Economy Forum in France. The world’s first such event was held in France in 2012 and representatives of the French side were also in attendance at the press conference.

Alain Thuleau, Managing Director of the Positive Economy Forum, explains its role: “Our main idea is to create a positive society. Companies, the political world, ordinary people, banks — all together we can create a new model for life. A positive economy means thinking about future generations.”

The Positive Economy Forum will be held in Rostov-on-Don in June 2015. It will bring together more than 1000 participants from Russia and Europe. The Rostov Musical Theatre has been chosen as the main venue. During the Forum, business people, non-profit organisations, engaged citizens and social entrepreneurs will share their experience and propose new ways of addressing environmental and climatic challenges, expanding access to education and medical services, and developing and supporting cultural projects.

“For Center-invest Bank, the positive economy is not a new economy; it is the mainstream,” said Dr Vasily Vysokov, chairman of the Board of Directors of Center-invest Bank. “And we are delighted that we will see an equally valuable exchange of best international practice.”

The Forum will be a platform for the sharing of professional experience by people who are concerned about the way the world operates today, and who want to see a fairer system for allocating advantages and resources, and the creation of effective mechanisms for social protection and support.

The founder of the Positive Economy Forum, the French economist, writer and prominent political figure, Jacques Attali, set out the ideas behind the Forum in a Manifesto published in 2013. He says that, “A positive economy is one which uses long-term objectives and encourages altruism in respect of future generations. Although there have already been positive changes (from social entrepreneurship and impact investing to fair trade and corporate social responsibility), on the global scale this is inadequate. A genuine change of paradigm is required if the positive economy is to advance successfully. The positive economy presents a historic chance to change the paradigm and create long-term well-being for all, in the interests of both current and future generations.”